Some people have dogs. Not me.I have a therapist. His name is Adam.I'd rather have a dog.

Ever since Benjamin Sáenz published his first book for young adults, Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, his fans have been waiting eagerly for new YA titles. And now the wait is over! Here is Ben's newest addition, Last Night I Sang to the Monster.

Zach is eighteen. He is bright and articulate. He’s also an alcoholic, and he's in rehab instead of high school, but he doesn’t remember how he got there. He’s not sure he wants to remember. Something bad must have happened. Something really, really bad. Remembering sucks and being alive well- what’s up with that?

I have it in my head that when we’re born, God writes things down on our hearts. See, on some people’s hearts he writes Happy and on some people’s hearts he writes Sad and on some people’s hearts he writes Crazy on some people’s hearts he writes Genius and on some people’s hearts he writes Angry and on some people’s hearts he writes Winner and on some people’s hearts he writes Loser. It’s all like a game to him. Him. God. And it’s all pretty much random. He takes out his pen and starts writing on our blank hearts. When it came to my turn, he wrote Sad. I don’t like God very much. Apparently he doesn’t like me very much either.

Benjamin Alire Saenz is a prolific novelist, poet and author of children’s books. Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood, his first novel for young adults, was a finalist for the LA Times Prize and a YALSA Top Ten Books for Young Adults pick in 2005.

Benjamin Alire Saenz reads from the first chapter of Last Night I Sang to the Monster.

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